Onne van der Wal: 'Sea astronaut' captures light years of progress

Onne van der Wal has traveled across the world taking photos of all sorts of vessels. Here he captured Farr 40s racing off Florida during the annual Key West Race Week.

In Rhode Island, where van der Wal lives, three of the region's famous 12 Meters class boats (Northern Light, Gleam and Onawa) make the most of the sunset as they enjoy a cruise under the Newport Bridge.

Out on the bowsprit of the schooner Shenandoah, Onne puts his camera in hand and his heart in his throat to capture the beauty of this yacht sailing off the coast of Sardinia.

Newport's active Shields Fleet races every Wednesday throughout the spring, summer and fall, and isn't afraid of a little storm front rolling in over the fleet.

Another of his shots shows the rail of the beautiful 43-meter yacht, Skylge, as she sails towards the French Riviera in late summer.

Here he pictures mega yachts P2 and Maltese Falcon rounding Ile Forchue in the Caribbean Sea during the annual St. Barth's Bucket Regatta.

Team New Zealand, pictured here, competed against Oracle Team USA in hi-tech 72-foot catamarans off the coast of San Francisco in September 2013, reaching speeds of 50 mph -- faster than the wind propelling them.

When van der Wal went on the 1981 Round the World Race, he said the sails were not much more advanced than canvas. The boats competing in the event's present format (pictured here in 2011) use space-age tech such as carbon fiber and Kevlar.

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On the move

Under the bridge

Schooner time

Stormy weather

Sunset on the Riviera

Maltese Falcon

The future of sailing?

Faster than wind

Been around the world

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Onne van der Wal is one of world's most famous sailing photographers

Born in the Netherlands, he moved to South Africa as a child

He started taking pictures of sailing while on 1981-82 race around the world

Sailed north to Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic and as far south as Antarctica

(CNN) -- Onne van der Wal was born to be on the water -- and after witnessing decades of incredible sailing innovations, the renowned photographer now feels like he's an "astronaut of the sea."

"It's more like space travel and I love it," the Dutchman says of yachting's extraordinary technological progress over the past 30 years.

While he hasn't quite had to reach for a helmet and suit, the boats which van der Wal now sails on are light years away from those which he used to frequent as a youngster.

The America's Cup competition, in particular, has taken advantage of innovative materials such as carbon fiber and Kevlar, which were used on the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle orbiter, to create futuristic racing machines.

"When I started racing large sailboats offshore, the sails were made of Dacron, one click up from canvas," van der Wal told CNN.

"The masts were built of aluminum or wood, and the hulls were built of aluminum or fiberglass.

"The sails are laminated, made of carbon or Kevlar, have perfect shape, keep their shape for longer periods of time, have a wider wind range and most importantly are much lighter and easier to handle."

Van der Wal made his first real foray into the world of sailing photography after taking part in the 1981 Round the World Race -- an event now known as the Volvo Ocean Race.

A keen sailor as a child and teenager, the sea was a second home to the Dutchman, who was brought up in Hout Bay, South Africa.

While working on commercial fishing vessels and maintaining race boats, van der Wal spent much of his spare time sailing -- crossing the Atlantic more than 10 times as well as racing in several other events.

But it is that race some 33 years ago which is etched into his memory -- a relic from sailing's past which gave little clue as what was to follow.

"When I did the Round the World race it was an adventure; the same race is now a business run by professionals and sailed by well-paid professionals," he recalls.

"If you want to see a change in sailing, look at the America's Cup. The boats they now sail are so extreme, very cool, but talk about light years from just 10 years ago.

"Then the top speed of the boat was about 15 miles per hour and nowadays they're hitting 50 mph.

"Foiling 72-foot catamarans with wing masts, space-age stuff built of all carbon, now that's a change in what was yachting. It still is but it sure doesn't look and feel like it."